Remarks to the Press by Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, following UNSC meeting on Syria

22 February 2018

Q: What are your amendments?

A: I cannot quote them, I don’t remember them by heart, but you can see them – they are in the text distributed in the Security Council. And we wait from the penholders their reaction. And then we will see where we will go from there.

Q: But what are they about? What do they emphasize?

A: About bringing the resolution to reality, because now it is simply unrealistic.

Q: What about terrorist groups? What Lavrov said…

A: About many things. This is not just terrorist groups, but the OP1 which is now absolutely unrealistic because it decides on the cessation of hostilities as if the Security Council resolution can by itself decide on it. That is a very complex process, that is to be negotiated and guaranteed. It cannot be imposed by the Security Council resolution. We try to make that resolution look more realistic, that is what the amendments are aimed at.

Q: Who insist when it was allowed to cut off Syria in 5 minutes?

A: That’s not polite. I mean, he speaks on the matter which concerns his country. And to refer to procedural issues in that situation, I think that’s not fair to the Syrian ambassador.